Can you help me?

[Unregistered]

This is about grammar:
SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION
_ What a pity! He can't speak English.
==> He wishes he COULD SPEAK English.
==> He wishes he SPOKE English.

Which one is correct? Why? Please give me an explanation.

 

[louhevly]

This is about grammar:
SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION
_ What a pity! He can't speak English.
==> He wishes he COULD SPEAK English.
==> He wishes he SPOKE English.

Which one is correct? Why? Please give me an explanation.

They're both correct and for me are synonymous.

Lou

 

[hoang21anh]

Thank you anyway. But my teacher in class said the right one was the first one. That sentence is in my English test of 9th grade. I thought it's about the wish for present so I did the second one. I'm so confused! :-?

 

[louhevly]

Thank you anyway. But my teacher in class said the right one was the first one. That sentence is in my English test of 9th grade. I thought it's about the wish for present so I did the second one. I'm so confused! :-?

A search on Google shows:
151,000 English pages for "wish * spoke English"
45,000 English pages for "wish * could speak English"

"wish" is weird and using it with "could" complicates things even further. Generally when we say "I wish + [would form]" ("I wish it would rain", "I wish you wouldn't contradict me"), we're talking about something that might occur. When we combine it with the simple past, we are generally lamenting that something is or is not the case, but we've resigned ourselves to it ("I wish I was taller", "I wish he wasn't so rude"). So if we say "I wish I spoke English", we're resigning ourselves to the fact we don't. But "could" can work both ways: "I wish you could come over now" can be interpreted as "Please, please come" or "I'm really sorry you can't come".

I wish he spoke English. (I don't think he knows how to.)
I wish he would speak English. (I know he knows how to.)

Lou

 

[hoang21anh]

I can see it a little. Thanks for help.
Do you think it's a different sentence for the test of 9th grade students?

 

[louhevly]

I can see it a little. Thanks for help.
Do you think it's a different sentence for the test of 9th grade students?

??

It is not a good sentence for any test, because both alternatives are correct.

 

[hoang21anh]

I agree with you.
That sentence is in the test composed by Vietnamese. I think it's bad.
Now, I wish I didn't have to study in Vietnam but somewhere else. I my view ,at present, the education system here isn't good anymore. The amount of lessons is too much. Therefore, we just get through it. And so nothing can be completed. At school, we mostly learn about the theory and don't do many experiments. And I think that's no practical at all. Thus, we can't be good and can't definite our own purpose for the future. That's the reason why some students in Vietnam after graduating can't find a job.